At the edge of the ocean
by hercat
Summary: An Iruka centric series about stories and friendship. Each chapter posted complete and independent. Series not yet finished
1. Safe Harbour

Title: Safe Harbour  
Summary: A story about stories and friendship. (I, K, N). Complete. Hopefully part of an Iruka-centric series.  
Author: Hercat  
Feedback: Always.  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters. Which is okay, cause can you imagine the damage they'd cause to a small apartment?

* * *

"Neh, Iruka sen_sei."_

"Naruto, you can't take care of yourself properly with your arm like that. I'd be glad to have you stay at my house until it's better."

"I can take care of myself." Kakashi watched as the Kyuubi container huffed himself up and crossed…well one arm, the other wrapped up in an orange sling. _Orange. On a ninja for Hokage's sake. My students are orange and pink. What did I do to deserve this?_

"I know you can Naruto, you're good at taking care of yourself. It's just that I'll worry about you, all alone with that arm." _Wow, professional quality guilt trip from Iruka-sensei._ "I probably won't be able to sleep I'll be so worried." _Ooh, he may have overdone it with that. And the judges say…_

"Well, I guess a couple nights couldn't hurt" said Naruto with a bright smile. _10/10. And the crowd goes wild._ Kakashi turned a page. He couldn't believe people still thought he was reading. How slow did they think he was anyway? "You have to make me ramen Iruka-sensei. Your ramen is the BEST."

"I guess I'd better go grocery shopping then. Why don't you go get your things and I'll meet you at my place. You still have the key?"

"Un. Jyaa." The blond bundle of energy bounded off and Iruka walked past him. Or tried to, because Kakashi pushed off the wall and joined him.

"Kakashi-san. Konnichiwa." The Chuunin sensei was smiling at him. Didn't the man have any other expressions? Happy and happier. Oh wait, pissed off. He'd seen that too, though only briefly. Wait…was he supposed to say something? Eh. Too late now. He turned a page for effect. He noticed that Iruka was walking a little too close and moved over. Years of experience gave ninja a healthy personal space. He was wondering why the Chuunin had done that when the lamppost came into his peripheral vision and he stopped dead. More from the shock than anything else. Iruka-sensei, all around Mr. Nice Guy had tried to steer him into a lamppost. _The nerve._ He shot him a glare.

"Gomen, Kakashi-san" said Iruka blushing and rubbing the back of his neck. _Pink. Like Sakura-chan._ "I shouldn't have done that. It just makes me crazy when people ignore me."

_Just like Naruto_ thought Kakashi. _How easily you show your weak points._ He shut the book with a snap and put it away. He supposed he could at least show the teacher that courtesy. _Well, if we're being so straightforward._

"Why doesn't he live with you?" Iruka didn't even try to pretend he didn't understand what the Jounin was talking about.

"Well, at first it was because I was his teacher and it wouldn't have been appropriate. After that…he knew and he didn't want my windows getting broken too. I've told him that won't happen, but I don't think he believes me."

"Maa, now he knows the strength of a Chuunin fighter, he knows its limits." Rather than being upset, Iruka seemed to find this funny.

"You may be right. Here we are Kakashi-san. Will you be joining us for dinner? Apparently we're having ramen. Naruto would love to have you there." Kakashi's eyebrows went up. Insults got him dinner?

"That would be nice, especially since Naruto thinks so highly of your cooking skills." Kakashi saw Iruka wince. _What…oh, I didn't mean it like that._

"Dinner will start at 6, Naruto will have eaten everything by 6:30, so be on time if you want to eat. Thank you for bringing desert."

"No probl…wait." Iruka was already in the store by then. Kakashi scratched the back of his head and wondered if Momoko-san was still making those erotic cheesecakes.

* * *

­ 

The dishes were in the sink and a yawning Naruto pointed toward bed. Kakashi cupped his coffee mug and contemplated a dishwashing Iruka.

"I can't believe you cut the nipples off my cheesecake."

"And even now I find it hard to believe you brought a pair of … breast shaped cheesecakes to a dinner with a teenager."

"You're right. Next time I'll bring three." Although the memory of Naruto saying the cheesecake looked like a butt would keep him giggling for years. Iruka sighed and pulled a pot into the soapy water with a splash.

"Don't you…" Iruka cut himself off, but the last thing Kakashi wanted was the teacher censoring himself.

"What?"

"I was going to ask you if you had any morals, but I remembered who I was talking to." Kakashi's voice went cold.

"Naruto is old enough to kill for this village. Old enough to die for it. As far as I'm concerned he's old enough to look at whatever he damn well wants to."

"That's not what I meant." Kakashi wondered if that was meant to be an apology. "You were right about the Chuunin exam. He was ready to take it."

"Can I get that in writing?" Iruka didn't rise to the bait.

"I'll come to the next general meeting and apologize. It's only fair since I argued with you in front of everyone." Kakashi blinked in shock at the teacher elbow deep in hot water. He would really stand in front of his superiours and do that? He toyed with the idea for a split second, but…

"Nah, that's fine. Everyone would think I forced you into it, and besides, you really livened things up. You should lose your temper more often." Iruka snorted at this and lost a little of the tension in his shoulders. Kakashi was surprised at how good seeing that made him feel.

"You should have seen the first time he used sexy-no-jutsu on me. I thought my head was going to explode."

"Ah, so Iruka-sensei has a thing for underage blonds."

"It was just so…indecent. Ah gods, that makes me sound like Ebisu-san. He was in my class you know. We used to fight constantly."

"Honto-ni?" Kakashi was distracted from this fascinating new piece of information (and possible source of blackmail material) when Naruto wandered in wearing his pyjamas and sleeping hat.

"Iruka-sensei?" Iruka smiled and poured a glass of water, then gently steered Naruto into one of the bedrooms. Kakashi, genius ninja that he was, deduced that the other one must be Iruka's and took a look while the Chuunin was occupied.

His eyes widened. Unlike the rest of the small house which was warm and inviting, this room was blank. The most personal thing was a dolphin shaped pencil holder on the desk. Somehow, it just didn't fit. He could overhear soft voices down the hall.

"Nee, Iruka-sensei?" Kakashi wondered at how that title seemed to be so firmly linked with Iruka in everyone's mind, trailing behind like a baby duck after its mother.

"Yes Naruto?"

"Anou sa…could you tell me a story? Chouji said…never mind."

"No, that's fine, let me think. Well, I know a lot of stories, but there's one I remember my mother telling me. It's short and a little strange though."

"Yeah! That one."

"All right, but you have to lie down and close your eyes."

"Un!" Iruka's voice quieted, words slow and rhythmic, drawing all three of them in.

"I tell you this story as it was told to me. This is not the place where it was told to me, nor are these the words that were said to me, but this is the story, as true as it was then.

"Once there was a young man. Fortune had not been kind to him, and he had lost much that he held dear. This young man decided to find Kami-Sama and ask some questions, so he left the village where he had been born and wandered for a very long time.

"He traveled to Grass and saw fields that trailed away further than the eye could follow.

He traveled to Stone and saw caves so dark you could spend a lifetime lost in them.

He traveled to Sand and saw the sun rise over the endless hunger of the dessert.

He traveled to Wave and saw the Ocean." Kakashi blinked. There'd been an odd note in Iruka's voice just then. The Chuunin continued.

"And after all he had seen and done he returned home. He had seen many things. Some almost more horrible than he could bear, and some so beautiful they almost granted him peace. Yet in all this, he had not seen what he had gone to see, nor done what he had gone to do.

"He was standing in the market place of his village, at a loss for what to do. He felt a tap on his shoulder, and turned to find a person. A person who was everyone and no one. The ocean and the sky and those little fruit flies that seem to come from nowhere.

"This person gave him a cup and said 'Here, you look like you could use this.' He felt a thousand questions rush through him like a flock of shorebirds, and just as quickly scatter. He looked down to see it was tea, just like his father would make in the morning. He'd never been able to get it quite right since. 'Thank you' he said. 'For the tea I mean.' And that person smiled at him and walked away.

"And the man, a little older and a great deal wiser, stood in the market of the town where he had been born and drank his tea."

There was a pause

"That's IT? What a stupid story! Um, sorry Iruka-sensei."

"That's okay Naruto, I said pretty much the same thing the first time I heard it. I was politer about it though."

"Sorry."

"If you want, I'll tell you a different story tomorrow. One that makes more sense to you."

"Un." Kakashi leaned around the corner to see Iruka brush his fingers through Naruto's hair, struggle with himself briefly, then brush a kiss across the child's forehead.

"Sen_sei._"

"Sorry Naruto. Sleep well." Kakashi waited until Iruka had shut the door before sneaking up behind him.

"You are such a woman."

"I'm not the one who spends all day reading romance novels."

"They're not romance novels, they're porn. Your story was condescending and sickeningly sweet. If you continue to fill his brain with mush like that, he'll become unable to function as a ninja at all." Iruka hunched over, his shoulders shaking silently. _Dammit, I made him cry? Obito used to…How soft of a ninja is he to cry to easily? Of course I just insulted his mother's story. His parents are dead I think…Hokage's balls, I can't feel guilty. Not over this._ The sound got louder and he realized Iruka was laughing almost silently.

"Gomen Kakashi-san, but you're certainly in a vicious mood this evening. Are you sure it's not a bad time of the month for you?"

"Jackass" he muttered, but he could feel the edges of his mouth twitching upwards beneath the mask. His first real smile in how long? He couldn't remember. The Chuunin's voice became serious.

"I know I can't protect him Kakashi-san. Not from anything that really matters. Nor would Naruto ever ask me to. Which is why I will do whatever it takes to see he knows that someone is willing to try."

There wasn't much Kakashi could say to that.

"Staying or going?" asked Iruka, moving over to a small wooden plaque inset in the kitchen wall.

"Staying if it's alright with you."

"Un. You can have the guest room, it's the one you were poking your nose into earlier." Iruka bit his thumb and painted a stripe of blood down the varnished characters. Kakashi's eyebrows went up with the barrier. You had to be extraordinarily paranoid to ward your house in the middle of a hidden village. Even if it was a weak barrier. The weakest he'd ever seen actually. The first time somebody so much as touched it, it would…ah. It would collapse and alert Iruka. He peered at the carving. Ah, and activate…something. How interesting. He was halfway tempted to set it off just to see what it would do.

"Good NIGHT Kakashi-san" said Iruka firmly as he curled up on the couch, blanket and pillow in hand. _So he sleeps out here all the time? Odd._

"Good night Iruka. Pleasant dreams." And the copy nin, ideas swirling in his head, went to bed.


	2. For a Friend

Title: For a Friend by hercat  
Genre: Umm, Friendship fic?  
Characters: K, I of course  
Comments: Sometimes all you need is someone to show they care  
Status: complete, though the story arc isn't yet.

* * *

Kakashi was sitting in a tree, reading his book. Well, not so much reading as staring at it. The nice thing about books, they give you somewhere to put your eyes. A way to avoid looking at people. To avoid seeing them looking at you, noticing you.

You'd think after 20 years as a ninja he'd be used to losing people. Resigned to seeing them fall around him while he went on. It never happened, never helped.

The branch shifted as another ninja landed on it. "Iruka-sensei. Is there something up with Naruto?" He put the book away, not quite sure when that courtesy had become automatic around this man.

"No. I heard about your mission. I thought you might want to talk."

"Ninja don't 'talk'. They don't complain about their missions or whine about life. They do their duty and move on." Iruka settled down on the branch, mercifully staring out over the city instead of at Kakashi.

"There's a bartender on Aoibashi Street who'd argue with you on that." He said with a soft smile and an aborted glance in Kakashi's direction. Kakashi laughed softly, bitterly.

"Fine then. You first sensei. Tell me about how you killed someone through stupidity. Tell me how your arrogance killed a member of your team." Iruka let out a slow breath at that.

"If that's what you want. It's happened more than once, but I'll tell you about the first time.  
"After I graduated as a genin with my team, it took a while for us to learn to work well together. Mizuki was near the top of the class and I was near the bottom. Natsuko, the kunoichi for our team was in the middle. She was a little like Shikamaru-kun in that she did the minimum, but in her case it was the minimum to stay in the middle.

"After a year of C and D class missions we felt that we were ready and our sensei agreed. We even had some team jutsu." Kakashi was surprised. As much as the Leaf emphasized teamwork, 'teamwork' was doing what the leader said, when they said, and not fighting. Team jutsu, all three nin working in absolute concert required a level of cooperation most shinobi weren't really capable of. Too much ego.

"We made it through the first and second levels, mostly because we were too scared of the other teams to take any chances. There weren't any preliminaries that year, only three teams passed. Nine Genin, and I drew the extra fight. I trained like crazy and finally perfected a jutsu I'd been working on for a long time. But my first fight was too easy. I got through it with bunshin and some basic traps. I didn't have a chance to show off to the crowd. To the people who for once were paying attention to me."

"You used your new jutsu."

"Yes. In my second match. And Natsuko dodged. And I hit the concrete wall behind her. Which exploded. I can still see it."

"The medic nin couldn't save her."

"There wasn't enough left for them to bother trying. And the proctor told me I had won. Can you believe that? I withdrew from the tournament. Sandime-sama tried to talk me out of it, but I told him I'd rather be a Genin for the rest of my life than risk my life and those of others for a title."

"They still made you a Chuunin."

"Yes, and all it cost me was the life of one friend, and the friendship of another. I don't know if hearing that helps, but I hope it does."

"You were young."

"And you're not all-powerful" said Iruka and smiled at him. So warm was all Kakashi could think. "You can't be no matter what certain underage kunoichi think. You've got quite the fan club you know." Kakashi snorted. That was pretty close to the absolute last thing he needed. "Does that help? Even a little?"

The expression on Iruka's face was so damn hopeful. Like it really mattered to him that a Jounin he'd met a handful of times was sulking. Kakashi considered his question. When it came down to it, life went on. Or it didn't. And if it was his choice, he would choose to go on. Because that's what a ninja did.

"Ah." He pulled out his book and opened it to chapter 7. It was his favourite part. After a minute Iruka took the hint and left, but not before shooting him a blinding smile that he would have missed completely if the Chuunin had been on the other side.

And Kakashi the copy nin, master of a thousand jutsu didn't know quite what to make of it.


	3. A weapon of wits

Title: A weapon of wits  
Author: hercat  
Summary: Shinobi Shopping

* * *

XianTzun-san smiled as he brought the small box up from behind the weapons counter.

"I have to tell you Iruka-sensei, this is the oddest request I've had in a long while." Iruka gently lifted the weapon from its cushioned case. It looked exactly like a regular kunai, something Iruka hadn't expected but was very impressed by. "Go ahead, you can use the handle, it won't break."

Iruka spun the knife in a practiced move and tried drawing it. "The balance is much better than I'd expected."

"Yeah, I put lead in the handle to compensate. Made it heavier though, you'll have to use it fairly close range. Here, I made a pair of metal ones for practice purposes. No extra charge."

"XinTzun-san, I couldn't. It's too much."

"Oh, go on. You always overpay, and if you get yourself killed where will I get those scrolls TenTen is so fond of? They're already made and who else will want such an overweight kunai?"

"Doumo Arigatou Gozaimasu XinTzun-san. You're a true craftsman. Could I get two more of the filled glass kunai please? I've thought of some other ways to use them."

"More ways? I still can't think of one. Like I said, these are the strangest weapons I've ever seen." Iruka snorted and smiled at the curiosity. No, the use of these unusual knives would remain his secret.

"You should see some of the things my students come up with" said Iruka. "Every time they invent a new technique, who do you think they try it on first? Their parents? Of course not. It's the poor sensei who gets the collapsing chalk board, wire trap chairs and exploding kunai dogs. I've had to deal with enough exploding chalk to level Konoha, and I _still_ can't look at muffins without feeling sick."

XianTzun was laughing as he wrapped the handles of the kunai, fingers practiced from years of such work. "I'll bet you were glad TenTen was a year ahead of your class."

"You have no idea. Mazuto-sensei had three, _three_ nervous breakdowns that year. I may not be a Jounin, but I'll put my awareness of airborne objects up against anyone in this village. If TenTen wants to practice hers, assistants are always needed."

XianTzun smiled, putting the special kunai in the padded box and wrapping all three.

"I'll tell her that, but I doubt she'll take you up on it. My daughter doesn't have much use for children."

"I didn't either when I started." Iruka chuckled and rubbed at the back of his neck. "I guess they kind of grow on you after a while."

"Ah, like mould. Here you go." Iruka took the package. "I'll have the other two by the beginning of next week. I figured you'd want more than one." Iruka passed over a pair of scrolls.

"The second one is an experiment. Let me know if it works properly."

"Will do Iruka-sensei. Happy hunting."

Iruka watched as XianTzun shook his head behind him. He knew he was starting to look paranoid, working so steadily on scrolls, new jutsu and weapons. There were even rumors that he was preparing for the Jounin exam, despite the fact that the timing was all wrong. But as his father had once said, you didn't have to see clouds to know a storm was coming.

And Iruka could taste rain on the air.


	4. Hold Fast

AUTHOR'S NOTE If you don't like these, that's what the scroll button is for.

To everyone; I'm so happy you reviewed. This is the first story I've gotten a lot of feedback for, and it makes me feel like a real author. As for the kunai… you'll just have to wait and see. This is one of the pieces of info that I'm definitely planning to explain later, though I haven't actually written that part yet or decided on the details.

To MarmaladeCat and Bite: I'm glad you like my 'punchlines' I never feel right about a story until I've got a good ending. Just wait for the last story in the series; I'm still smug thinking about it.

To ChibiRisu-chan; I just have to say it's an honour that the author of my absolute favorite Naruto fic has chosen to review mine. I've loved all of your stories, even the Count Cain, which I've never seen the show for. I'm so glad you like it. Your review totally made my night.

I'm sure avid readers will be pleased to know I have written and typed the last chapter of the story, so even if I don't finish all of the middle, there will be an end. But you can't see it yet. Hah!.

* * *

Title: Hold Fast by hercat 

Summary: People will surprise you every time.

* * *

Umino Iruka sighed as he sorted the morning's reports. In another few minutes he'd be finished, and for once no one had bothered him. 

Because Naruto wasn't there and wouldn't be there again for a long time. 'About two years' was what the Genin had said in his brief goodbye. Well, 'about two years' was a long time. Possibly a lifetime for a ninja, even one as sheltered as Iruka. And how much of Naruto's life would he miss? How would the boy change without him there to watch?

He wasn't foolish enough to imagine Naruto would still turn to him the way he used to. By the time he returned, Iruka would just be a memory to him. Someone who took an interest in him, but not anyone _needed_. He shoved the next file in a little harder than necessary. He supposed it was to be expected. You couldn't hold back a river. Natural on his part too to mourn the loss of something he'd cherished.

Iruka had learned years ago that trying to keep himself from moping was a lost cause. Of course moping had to be carefully monitored to prevent it from turning into a full blown fit of hysterical self-pity. Something he disliked in other people and hated in himself. _Look on the bright side. Whatever his faults, Jiraiya-sama is a skilled ninja. What's more, his fighting style matches Naruto's. They both rely heavily on large chakra reserves, the complete opposite of me. Chances are he'll learn a lot. And no matter what, he knows I care about him. That's really all I could have done._ The list of reasons why this was a good thing helped. The problem was, it was helping less than the first 48 times through it.

Fortunately the monotony of the missions desk was mind-numbing. Take report, check, stamp and sort. Next and next and so on until…Take report, check, st…Wait.

"Katsura-san, there are several sections here that still need to be filled in."

"Look _Chuunin_, I've got better things to do. They're pretty basic, I'm sure you can get them yourself."

"Katsura-san…" the Jounin was already walking out of the room. Everyone had gone silent, staring at Iruka. Waiting to see what he would do. _Don't everyone jump in at once_ Iruka thought bitterly. This was what he hated about being a ninja. No one helped anyone else, because needing help meant you were weak, and the weak dragged down the rest.

_Like a pack of wolves. Goddamn macho BULLSHIT_. That had been his mother's phrase, but then she'd been tough as nails to most, gentle only to a few. His mother had had power, a sure route to respect (at least in public) in a ninja village. All he had was his wits. So far they had been enough.

Half-blank folder in hand, he walked quickly after the irritating Jounin. He didn't bother to mask his footsteps. 'Sometimes the best camouflage is none at all' his father had told him. He kept his chakra calm and didn't let any intent slip through. He was just another office worker using the hallway. Until he caught up, walked into the supply closet as the Jounin passed, and kawarimi-no-jutsu'd his ass.

The door latched a fraction of a second later, seals locking into place. _Fortune favours the prepared_. The door wasn't shaking and no noise was coming through.

"Katsura-san, you may be interested to know there's a one-way sound Jutsu on the door. I sincerely hope you'll have your report finished when I come by to pick it up at five. It would be awful if you had to spend the whole night in there." He turned to walk away. "Oh, and I don't recommend any high level jutsu in there – the force will have no where to go." It was a fairly standard technique for containing high level ninja. Iruka doubted his work would be up to Ibiki-san's standards, but it was good enough for this. He stuck a note to the door.

Advanced Student  
Supplies  
Don't Disturb  
Iruka

The funny thing was, if you took each line separately it was actually true.

* * *

Of course the story got around. In a village like this, gossip was a major hobby, and as amusing as it was sometimes to imagine some of the deadliest people in the world gossiping like grannies over tea, it could be dammed inconvenient. 

Part of Iruka was glowing with the feeling of besting a Jounin, no matter how temporarily. The rest of him was sensible enough to be very worried about what the pissed off ninja after his ass was going to do. And he wasn't nearly arrogant enough to think he could take such a high level fighter fairly. Or rather in an open fight. Iruka never fought fairly, he was after all a ninja.

So when Katsura stood over him in the teacher's lounge, spewing out some pretty nasty words he tried to ignore them, pretending to mark papers. But there were some remarks that couldn't pass uncontested.

"Take that back" said Iruka quietly, putting his pen down. Delighted to have found a tender spot, Katsura renewed his efforts.

"But he _is_ a little monster. Feral as an alley cat and about as smart. His lack of brains is going to get someone killed, maybe himself if we're lucky. Best thing for Konoha that he left, better still if he never comes back."

"That is a very….ill thing to say of a comrade." Mizuki would have noticed the quiet voice and the formal phrasing and gotten the hell out of there. But Mizuki was dead now, disgraced and all Iruka had was a roomful of higher level ninja silently watching him defend the closest thing he had to a family.

"A comrade? Not one of mine. You feel soft for him sensei? Feel sweet for the brat? Heh, or maybe you've been _feeling _the brat more than you should, special after class…"

Much later Iruka would take a certain grim satisfaction from the fact it had taken three Jounin to pry him off.

* * *

Iruka woke up slowly. At first he couldn't understand why the ceiling looked so different or why he had a hangover. Then he remembered. He rubbed at his shoulder which was throbbing. He thought he could remember Anko stabbing him with something just before he passed out. _Probably a sedative. She always did love her chemicals._

"If it's any comfort, you were clearly winning when she did that. Katsura has a number of bald patches."

_Pathetic_ Iruka thought as he closed his eyes. _Like a pair of kunoichi squabbling over a boy._

"Maa, what bad luck. The most interesting thing to happen all month, and I'm away for it." Somehow, picturing Kakashi watching as he brawled with what was technically his superiour like an academy student didn't help. "I'm quite impressed actually. Who would have known you had such a vicious streak? Of course, you put Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke on the same team so obviously you have some sadistic tendencies at least."

Iruka sighed. He just _couldn't_. Couldn't think couldn't care couldn't feel. Couldn't anything.

He was saved from Kakashi's monologue by Ibiki entering the room and a suspicious part of him wondered if that had been deliberate. _Torture by inane chatter. Make people actually glad to see Ibiki when he comes in. It would suit his sense of humor._

"Ibiki-san." Iruka didn't have to turn to make the identification. Ibiki's chakra had a harsh grating buzz that matched his personality perfectly.

"Iruka-sensei. How are you feeling?"_ Empty._

"Fine Ibiki-san. Can we please get this over with?" Ibiki held out a board covered with an intricate three pointed seal. Iruka sat up and put a hand in the middle of it, wrist over the first point. "The only person I have ever had sex with is dead." Ibiki turned the board to the next point. "I have never made or accepted sexual advances of any kind with _anyone_ younger than myself." Iruka looked questioningly at Ibiki as the board was rotated to the final point.

"Just finish it Umino-san." Iruka opened his mouth to make some random statement when Kakashi spoke up from across the room.

"Tell us you're not going to take this out on yourself." Iruka smiled bitterly. It was shaming to hear that Kakashi, the second closest person he had left to a friend, thought he was so weak. He wasn't worried about Ibiki. Ibiki-san thought everyone was weak. There was really only one proper reply to that statement.

"My body and my life are the property of Konohagakure no sato. I will not steal or damage them." A stillness seemed to fill the room for a second before the seal began to vanish into chakra smoke, leaving a perfectly blank page. Ibiki nodded, satisfied, and left with an unreadable look at Kakashi.

"Thank you for your cooperation Umino-san." Iruka lay back down and let those words ring through his head until he fell asleep again.

* * *

"He's been like this all week" hissed Anko, standing behind Kakashi in the line. "It's damn creepy seeing him blanker than Ibiki. This is _Iruka_ for Hokage's sake. It's driving me nuts." Kakashi just grunted quietly in agreement. He watched the Chuunin methodically work his way through Genma's folder, fingers gracefully moving through the sheets, sure and certain. That was nothing unusual. The blank mask on Iruka's face was though, and he was surprised again at how much it hurt seeing it, here and at the hospital. Anko was right. Umino Iruka shouldn't look _empty_ like that. Empty like some of the nin were permanently. Empty like he felt on the bad days. 

Genma walked off, shoulders a fraction more slumped than usual, and Kakashi wondered how feelings could be so easily spread. It wasn't fair he decided abruptly, for Iruka to take away any joy from the lives of people who needed it so badly.

So when Iruka reached for his folder, Kakashi jerked it back, and again the second time. _Naruto must be rubbing off on me_ he thought. Seated in front of him, Iruka gave off a sigh that seemed to come from the depths of his soul.

"Stop being such a jackass" hissed Anko, poking him hard in the kidneys. Good thing he'd reinforced that area, her fingers were sharp. _So we're poking people now? Okay._

"Poke" he said, pushing the end of the folder into Iruka's shoulder while the Chuunin stared at him with a bewildered look. _At least it's an expression._ Anko kicked his ankle. He ignored her. "Poke, poke" he said again, suiting action to words. He saw a smile flicker at the edges of Iruka's mouth, fanned it with one of his own and watched it settle in place. Sadder than usual, but still there.

"I knew you were in there somewhere" said Kakashi.

"Well, I guess you've found me then" said Iruka as he took the folder.


	5. Against the tide

Author's Note: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed. It's nice to see that my efforts are appreciated. Judging from the reviews, I may add a little revenge on Katsura. Also FYI, I do not at this point anticipate Naruto, or any of his year-mates having any more involvement with this fic. Yes, the kunai will be explained. No, not in this chapter. Now, for special messages and Explanations…

Smoking Panda: Yes, I realize this is coming off a little Mary-Sue ish, but it's really difficult to avoid that when a story is focused on a single character. If it's any comfort, I intend to try and reveal a more fallible Iruka. Most of it's that I think Iruka is AWESOME. Training a class full of ninja-brats? I couldn't handle 6 NORMAL kids.

Flare2 and anonymous10; The paper thingie was like a lie detector. Feed it three sentences, and if they're all true it evaporates. They are difficult to make, so aren't frequently used. They're only valid if the person isn't under duress, and subjective as well (depends on the user's point of view). I will be inventing many other tools and jutsu as I go.

Nezuko: Thank you for several amazingly detailed reviews. I'm glad that I didn't lose everyone with the paper-interrogation device. As for the ahem expression, I don't think so, but it's possible. I was just looking for something to swear by, and there really isn't much if you avoid religion. Of course with a female Hokage, they're going to have to change that…

* * *

Title: Against the Tide  
Summary: Iruka's scared…but that just makes him dangerous.  
Rating: Episode-level violence.  
Review: Very much appreciated

"Iruka-sensei" the Jounin said with a grin (at least as far as Iruka could tell) planting his hands firmly on Iruka's desk. The Chuunin blinked in shock. He hadn't felt the Jounin coming at all, and wasn't sure if that was due to the man's inarguable skill or the numb brain that resulted from 27 academy student level essays. "Guess what? I have a mission."

"That's … nice" he replied hesitantly, not quite sure how he was expected to react.

"And since I'm supposed to have backup, you're coming too!" Iruka knew how he felt about _that_. He scowled, feeling his face twisting into the unfamiliar shape of a frown.

"The Hokage put you up to this didn't she?"

"Well, you certainly impressed a lot of people last week. You've been down lately. A mission will take your mind off of it." _Quite possibly permanently. I'm sure getting killed will put me in a _much_ better mood._

"When do we leave?"

"As soon as you're ready." Iruka nodded, already stuffing papers into his desk and locking it. He jotted a short note for the substitute teacher on the board and changed his day vest for the heavier missions vest in the closet. He pulled a few of his rarer supplies out of the day vest and repacked them.

"Ready." The whole process had taken less than five minutes. Kakashi nodded shortly, and the two ninja headed for the gates.

* * *

"So what exactly is our mission?" Iruka asked as they ran through the treetops. The pace was punishing, better suited to ANBU and top Jounin than to Chuunin instructors who'd spent a long day trying to pound knowledge into tiny little minds.

"We're meeting a possible spy from Sound. It could well be a trap, but we can't afford to ignore the chance."

"Un." Iruka wondered if Kakashi had chosen him for availability, competence (which he considered unlikely considering the other nin had never seen him fight), or the fact that he had no access at all to Konoha's critical information. At least as far as anyone alive knew. _Sandaime-sama, that library of yours probably saved my life, but it does complicate things sometimes._ His mind cringed away from what he had done to attract that attention. Iruka prepared an amnesia jutsu for use on himself as a precaution. He flat out refused to be a weak link in Konoha's security. Though being one in this mission might be unavoidable.

Extending his senses as far as they could go, Iruka settled into a rhythm and ran and ran and ran.

* * *

"Kakashi-san" the Chuunin called out quietly from beside him as they ran through the treetops. The Jounin tilted his head to show he was listening. "I need a break."

The words jolted him out of his running fugue and he started looking for a good place. A large tree up ahead seemed suitable and he stopped on a branch there, Iruka more or less collapsing against the trunk, sides heaving. With a flash of guilt Kakashi realized he'd been traveling at the ANBU pace his body was most used to, years of conditioning making it natural.

"If that was too fast you should have said something" he reproved the schoolteacher. If he couldn't count on the other ninja to stand up for himself, he'd have to watch him like one of the students. He'd been looking forward to a break from that level of attention.

"The speed is fine Kakashi-san, it's the distance that's trying. I guess I'll need to train more" the Chuunin said, flushing pink. Kakashi snorted at this. Iruka was up at five without fail, trained for two hours, taught all day, worked in the missions room all evening, and didn't get to bed until midnight if he was lucky. Even for a ninja that was a grueling workload. When was he supposed to train more, in his sleep? Kakashi noted with interest that Iruka was bright red now and determinedly sorting through his vest pockets. _He's so tense. Probably worried. Still, he was going out with me or Genma._ And as much as he trusted Genma, the idea of him being on a mission with Iruka was…worrying. Like not knowing exactly how many kunai were left in your holster. _Better to have him where I can keep an eye on him._ The idea was comforting in a way he couldn't really explain.

The Chuunin had forced himself to relax and had pulled a pair of envelopes from his vest. He offered one to Kakashi who was surprised to find chakra replenishing powder inside. The stuff had all the advantages of soldier pills, but without the crash afterwards. And it was damn expensive. Some of the top ANBU had used it, but not him. He waited until Iruka was taking a drink of water, then tried a taste.

"Ugh, tastes like dog food" he said handing the packet back to Iruka.

"Keep it. And how do you know what dog food tastes like anyway?" Kakashi just sighed.

FLASHBACK

Kakashi staggered into his apartment, shutting the door behind him and leaning against it.

"You look like crap" said Pakkun. Kakashi spent several minutes trying to think up a suitably sarcastic response before giving up.

"I feel like crap." His stomach _growled_ and if he hadn't been leaning against the door he would have fallen over.

After a moment he managed to stagger to the kitchen and collapse in a chair. His head tried to sag forward, but he knew he couldn't pass out – not yet. If he fell asleep like this he'd wake up in the hospital if he was lucky. He needed to get some food into his system. He didn't want to get up, didn't even have the energy to call for takeout.

_I want somebody to feed me. Now_ he thought petulantly. _Someone to feed me and help me to bed. Someone…_For a second he could almost feel it, a warm place to rest his head, gentle fingers running through his hair. His eyes drifted shut…

"Yow!" He was on his feet before he realized it, Pakkun, no fool, was out of range on the other side of the table. Kakashi eyed him, then eyed his now-bleeding ankle.

"Eat something before you die you moron."

Kakashi sighed and started going through the cupboards. He winced as he realized he'd slowly been eating his way through them from more edible to less. Now, even the cans of tuna were gone. _I was _going_ to go shopping_ he offered plaintively to the cupboard gods.

They ignored him.

The only thing that could remotely be considered edible was the bag of dried dog food. He picked it up, and looked at it speculatively.

"You're kidding" said Pakkun. Kakashi looked down and poured half the bag out onto the mutt's head. Pakkun barked at him, which meant he was really upset, before going off to sulk in the corner.

And Kakashi sat back down at the table and had dinner.

END FLASHBACK

"We should be moving." Iruka nodded and tucked the canteen away. Resting a hand on his partner's shoulder for a second, Kakashi was pleased to feel the other ninja's chakra low, but stable. Heading towards Sound, they moved out.

* * *

Iruka looked up at his manacled hands. _This is not exactly how I wanted to spend my evening _he thought to himself. Truth be told, he was terrified. His brain was throwing up image after terrifying image of what could happen. Physical mutilation, jutsu torture, interrogation genjutsu that could leave the victim a vegetable, and…other things.

Images of the worst time of his life rushed forward and pulled him under. For a moment he was back _there,_ the pain of kunai wounds biting into his back and Mizuki's gloating words…_No!_

Iruka snapped himself out of it, forcing his breathing into a meditation pattern. He flat out refused to be trapped in a memory. When he was a bit calmer he looked up to see Kakashi, manacled across from him, staring at him expressionlessly.

Iruka flushed with embarrassment, and then anger. He glared at his teammate. _Well excuse me for not being Mr. Cool-Even-Though-I'm-Probably-Going-To-Be-Tortured._ Iruka transferred his glare to the manacles. He jerked on the short chain angrily, letting his whole weight fall on the join with the rock. This made them…do absolutely nothing. After a minute his wrists started to hurt, so he shifted his weight back to the ground of the small cell.

Iruka had a number of escape tricks on him, from an anklet made of unlocking seals to a perfectly normal set of lock picks in his belt. Presumably, they were with his pants. Which he was currently not wearing. Along with his vest, shirt, underwear and socks. They'd even taken his hair tie, though what exactly he was supposed to be hiding in that was beyond him. The only thing that could possibly be considered clothing he had left was his hitai-ate which had been retied around his neck after being searched.

_Well, at least if Orochimaru shows up and tries to give us a curse seal he'll chip a tooth._ Iruka snorted to himself and curled into as much of a ball as he was able to, arms stretching up against the low ceiling only a couple feet over his head.

"This is so humiliating" Iruka muttered to his knees.

"It's an intimidation tactic" said Kakashi quietly, the first time he'd spoken since they'd been captured. Iruka didn't remember much of it clearly. Just the sudden explosion of a trap he'd sensed too late, an impression of the trees exploding with enemy nin. After that, it was the blur of battle, blood and smoke.

He could remember seeing Kakashi tearing through enemy ninja with a frightening efficiency, and trying to cover the back of someone he now realized was on a level he could never hope to reach.

The Jounin had told him to run. Not questioning the orders of a superior, and suspecting that Kakashi would do better without him in the way, Iruka had tried to. He couldn't remember anything after that, though the ache in all his joints told him an electricity jutsu had been used on him at some point. Iruka had the unhappy suspicion they'd held him hostage to make Kakashi surrender. There was no way in hell he was going to ask though. No way in hell.

Where the hell did Kakashi get off dragging Iruka along and handicapping himself like that? If he'd been alone, he'd have probably escaped. He'd probably not even have been seen. What right did he have to make _Iruka_ responsible for whatever was going to happen to them next?

"_Really?_ And here I thought they'd turned Sound into a strip club and were auditioning for dancers. How foolish of me." Iruka cut himself off before he could say any more. He had his mother's temper and tongue and both of them had sharp edges. It was fear driving them here more than true anger.

"Hm, actually I think the look is more bondage club chic. You must go to the most interesting strip clubs sensei." Iruka let out a short laugh, but felt a little better.

_Count your mercies_ he told himself. _You've managed to keep Kakashi-san from seeing your back, and the manacles cover the other scars quite nicely. Too bad they drain any chakra near my hands._ Other than the Hyuuga, most nin could only expel chakra from their hands. And feet of course, for water walking. _Wait, is there some way to use that?_

Just then, the cell door opened. Their time was up, the interrogator had arrived.

Iruka's eyes widened. It was one thing to be told, but…

"Kabuto-san?" The Sound ninja focused on his face before making a soft noise of satisfaction.

"Umino-san. How interesting." He could feel Kabuto's gaze on him, cold and contemptuous, an expression mirrored on the faces of the two thuggish Sound ninja flanking him. With the touch of a carved stone to a plate outside the cell, the manacles unlocked and the barred door swung open. Iruka rubbed his wrists, and shot a look at Kakashi, still chained to the wall.

"If it's all the same to you Kabuto-san, I'd like a pair of pants first." Smirking, the man who had been one of his first students tossed clothes at him from a cupboard. Iruka slipped them on quickly, not trusting to the medic-nin's patience.

"So modest, Umino-san. This must be a recent development." The purr of his voice made the hairs on Iruka's neck stand up as he ducked out of the cell and was herded from the room. He didn't look back at Kakashi.

"It's an odd thing" Iruka murmured as he was escorted down the hall. He was discovering that past a certain level of terror, everything more or less evened out. Not that his heart wasn't pounding like crazy, not that he didn't want to curl up in a corner and have a nervous breakdown, but it was … tolerable. How odd that it hadn't happened last time.

"What, that I'd betray the great village of the Leaf?" Said Kabuto mockingly over his shoulder. "Is it really so difficult to understand?"

"No. I was actually wondering Kabuto-san, why you would chose to work in a place where you can trust no one, for a man who would cheerfully devour his subordinates." Kabuto stopped abruptly, allowing Iruka to stand equal with him, very conscious of the guard looming over him from behind. "In either the literal or figurative sense."

For the second time in his life Iruka looked into the eyes of someone he'd considered a friend and saw contempt staring back.

"You're a fool Iruka, and a weak one" said Kabuto, adjusting his glasses. "It's sad to see how little you've changed." He made a gesture, and a weight smashed into the back of Iruka's head, snapping it forward and bringing darkness.

* * *

When Iruka woke up he was lying down. Keeping his breathing even, not even twitching, he let himself absorb impressions of the room. It was small and Iruka could smell medicine and blood. He could hear two people, one almost on top of him, the other across the room. Carefully not altering his own chakra, he managed to pick up traces of the others'. A guard, the same one as before, was sitting hipshot on the bed, kunai resting on Iruka's throat. Guard-san's chakra was strong, but that itself showed a lack of finesse. Kabuto was an icy presence near the far wall.

The rest of the area felt enclosed and empty, which was just as well. He was pretty sure he could take the guard and had no idea about Kabuto, but adding anyone else would have made things impossible.

Iruka knew he had to escape before someone tattooed a prisoner-seal on him. He lay there motionless and relaxed, ignoring the death pressing against his throat, and worse waiting across the room from him. He visualized his hand wrapping around the guard's own kunai, shoving it away from himself and into his captor's throat. Once for the path his arm would travel. Twice for the movement of every muscle involved. Three times to see it happen.

And then he did it, right hand levering the knife upwards against muscles that tried to resist too late, at a point where it was Iruka who had the leverage. Edge slicing through an unprotected throat, turning his head away from a hot spray of blood that caught his face, filled his ear and flooded over his shoulder. Iruka hopped off the table, chakra flooding his hands as he turned to meet Kabuto, only half a step away, chakra knife slicing toward him. There was no time to form seals, just a variation on a jutsu that had cost him everything.

Things were moving in slow motion. Kabuto's right hand knife arching down for his heart, left up for the same. Iruka could only block one, so he chose the right, and cupping chakra coated hands around the blade shattered it, blasting the pieces back through Kabuto's arm.

Kabuto snarled in pain and Iruka twisted as the chakra blade he hadn't been able to avoid sliced through his chest.

Iruka's knees hit the floor as warm fluid filled his lungs. Kabuto was scrabbling around for a kunai, the pouch on the wrong side of his body for the mangled arm to reach. _Too late, you lose._ Without pause he tacked Kabuto onto the floor, sending his glasses flying. Part of Iruka found it funny, that even with all the blood coating the ninja and the room, he had to do himself another injury to get it in the right place. He bit the inside of his cheek and pulled chakra into the blood just as Kabuto's good hand slammed into his shoulder, breaking it, throwing Iruka across the room…and sending the mouthful of Iruka's blood into Kabuto's face.

Kabuto screamed and arched as the blood acid jutsu hit his eyes, staggering backward and out the side door before Iruka could make it to his feet, slipping a little in the blood coving the floor and his right side, and wiping at his burning lips. He didn't waste time swearing. He had until Kabuto healed himself to get out of there, because there was no way the Sound-nin would risk showing vulnerability to anyone. The arm could be covered well enough, but showing a weakness like being blind in the village of Sound could well be fatal. With Kabuto's skill it wouldn't take long.

His left hand unknotted the Konoha hitai-ate well enough, though he had to lean against the wall to hold his right in position as he tied a Sound one in its place. It was an act that hurt in more ways than one. The clothes Kabuto had given him wouldn't do, so he stripped the corpse and dressed himself.

He shrugged on the dead Sound-nin's vest and headed for the door. He looked back as he did, and spotted his and Kakashi's supplies piled in a corner. Swearing under his breath he went back for them. There were several things, in his at least, that were irreplaceable but his instincts were screaming at him that any second from now a herd of ninja were going to come through the door led by a very pissed off Kabuto.

And Iruka wanted very badly to be somewhere else when they arrived.

He stopped again at the door, half certain he'd find Orochimaru waiting on the other side, and opened it.

* * *

Iruka slowed his heart as he walked down the hall dressed in a dead man's clothes and blood. _A dolphin in these waters is nothing but prey. Be a predator._ He forced the little chakra he had left into the simplest genjutsu possible – projecting emotion. He pushed _cold_ and _dangerous_ until his head and heart hurt, and watched as Sound nin who could have taken him down effortlessly got out of his way.

And he shoved the little voice screaming at him to run in with all the other little voices and shut the door.

He passed by nin after nin as he slowly but deliberately made his way back to his partner. The ranks were higher in this area, and some glared at him, but the subliminal jutsu and the blood coating his face were enough of a mask to camouflage his features. Besides, Iruka figured there was probably a high turnover rate here.

He finally made it to the holding area, the guard glaring at him suspiciously. Feeling sick and dizzier by the second, something he wouldn't be able to camouflage for much longer, Iruka knocked firmly. The vests were slipping from his right hand, sweat and blood loosening them as his shoulder shot bolts of pain to complain. He didn't want to draw attention to them by adjusting his grip and couldn't risk occupying his good hand.

A sudden panicked thought hit him, should he have asked the guard for entry instead? Oh god, he'd screwed up …

Then a slot in the door opened, and suspicious cell guard stared out at the pair of them, opening the door at a nod from Iruka's escort. Without waiting for a pause, Iruka walked in and up to the cell bars as the door shut behind him. Kakashi sat there, in exactly the same position as before. Nude. Well, except for the hitai-ate over his sharingan. Which really just made him look more naked, if that was possible.

A slow rising of his eyebrow was Kakashi's only expression as he turned to look at Iruka, who was slowly turning pink. Kami-sama, he was going to start giggling, and then they'd both be dead, done in by Iruka's bizarre sense of humour, though hardly the first victims of it.

Iruka shifted his eyes to a point a few inches above Kakashi's gravity-defying hair.

"Open the cell" he ordered in a flat voice, his back to the guard.

"Uh, sir I can't…" Iruka let his voice drop to a whisper and pushed _danger_ as well as he could. He felt like throwing up or passing out. Possibly both.

"At what point exactly did I invite you to express your opinion?" he spoke slowly, casually, as if every second couldn't end with a kunai. He slowly turned to face the guard, blood soaked clothing coming into view. "Open.the.cell."

Shooting him a nervous look, the guard unsealed the door with his charm.

"Now the binds as well" he could feel the cough gripping his throat, and knew when it happened he'd be bringing up blood.

He could see the guard freeze, at the limit of orders and bluff. _I'm going to have to kill him_ realized Iruka dimly. He had almost no chakra left, and with his injuries it wouldn't be easy. And then he'd have to get his partner out of chakra-draining binds. And Kabuto would be after him in a few seconds. This was not looking good. Iruka abruptly resigned himself to the fact that he was going to die here. He was surprised to feel only a vague sadness…and the leading edge of a sort of berserk ruthlessness. _I may die here, but I'm sure as hell not going to be the only one._ Iruka could feel it flowing through him, muscles relaxing, worries fading to nothing. It felt nice, so he smiled.

Iruka wasn't sure what the Sound ninja saw, but from the look of terror on the face it wasn't a nice expression. He darted to the release panel and let Kakashi loose, who broke his neck in a movement almost too fast for Iruka to follow. He watched detachedly as the body hit the floor.

_I would give anything to protect the people of Konoha, but here it's a mercy to kill a man who failed his master. The snake who devours his children._

Iruka coughed absently, then hard enough to hit the floor if Kakashi hadn't caught him. Holding him in a kneeling position as he started to cover the floor of another room with blood.

"Impressive" said Kakashi quietly, making Iruka shiver a little as breath whispered across the back of his neck. Iruka switched to the scout hand signs he'd taught for years, and replied that he was an experienced Chuunin, not a person who needed humoring.

Then he spoiled it by throwing up.

Kakashi saved him the indignity of falling face first in it, and when he was finished hauled Iruka effortlessly to his feet.

"So Mr. Experienced Chuunin, what now?" In the background an alarm started shrieking. Iruka wiped out his mouth as best he could with the Sound hitai-ate, and dropped it to the floor.

"Run like hell" muttered Iruka, rapidly regaining his balance and heading for the door. A fully dressed Kakashi beat him there, opening the door and slitting the guard's throat in one smooth motion.

"Works for me" chirped the Jounin as he darted down the hall. Iruka blinked as he realized that Kakashi had reclaimed his vest, and slipped Iruka's on him too. He smiled as he ran after the advanced ninja, watching for pursuers.

With a current like Kakashi drawing him on, how could he falter?


End file.
